Cadillac today unveiled the CTS-V Sport Wagon show car, foreshadowing the next addition to its V-Series performance line. It combines the performance and luxury of the landmark CTS-V Sport Sedan with the dramatic design of the CTS Sport Wagon.

“The CTS-V Sport Wagon is a natural extension of both the V-Series and the CTS lineup, offering an uncompromising performance car to enthusiasts who want the extra room of a wagon,” said Don Butler, vice president for Cadillac marketing. “The V-Series Sport Wagon is another hallmark of the dramatic presence and power of Cadillac vehicles.”

The exterior is finished in Midnight Silver, first seen on the Cadillac Sixteen Concept, and accented by lustrous Liquid Silver-finished wheels and a black chrome finish on the grille’s mesh insert. The rear fascia, upper spoiler and center high-mounted stop lamp are also unique to the show car.

Inside, the CTS-V Sport Wagon show car is trimmed in exclusive black leather with Alcantara accents. The upper section of the instrument panel and upper door panels are covered in the same premium leather, accented with midnight Sapele wood, while the microfiber material and stitching is applied to the lower door panels, pillars, console lid, headliner and steering wheel center. The show car features fine-grain black leather-trimmed Recaro seats with Alcantara seat inserts. The seat inserts are divided in the center and accented with dark gray stitching, while the V-series logo is laser etched into the seatbacks. Obsidian Black accents grace the center stack, console, steering wheel and door panels.

The show car’s bespoke color and trim elements hint at the potential direction of color and trim in future Cadillac models. These elements are not yet intended for production, but represent Cadillac’s desire to gauge customer reaction to new color and trim options.

Production CTS-V Sport Wagon

The CTS-V Sport Wagon will go into production in late 2010, with initial sales in North America, followed by export markets including Europe and the Middle East. The new model rounds out the V-Series offerings, which include all variants of the CTS family’s sedan, coupe and sport wagon body styles.

Like its sedan and coupe stable mates, the CTS-V Sport Wagon is powered by a supercharged 6.2L V-8, which delivers 556 horsepower (415 kW) and is backed by either a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic. A suite of technical and performance elements complement the powertrain, including Magnetic Ride Control, Brembo brakes and Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 performance tires mounted on 19-inch forged aluminum wheels.

Like the other CTS V-Series models, the Sport Wagonincorporates a unique grille that doubles front-end airflow to help enable its high-performance capabilities. It is also visually identified by an aggressive front fascia and raised center section of the aluminum hood that provides clearance for the supercharger. It rides on 19-inch forged aluminum wheels available in painted or polished finishes.

The rest of the exterior carries the dramatic design of the new CTS Sport Wagon; the details of which include:

Signature V-shaped deck and tailgate motif

Large, vertical taillamps with light-pipe technology

Power-opening liftgate (via key fob or in-vehicle button)

CHMSL-integrated roof spoiler

Integrated roof load management system with available cross bars for a seamless appearance

Cargo management system with adjustable in-floor containment

Available panoramic UltraView sunroof.

At the rear is a pair of 3-inch (76 mm) chrome exhaust outlets, which caps a performance dual-exhaust system made of high-grade stainless steel that will maintain a lustrous appearance longer than ordinary stainless.

Of course, cargo capability is a hallmark of wagons and the V-Series Sport Wagon delivers with 25.4 cubic feet (720 liters) of space behind the rear seats and 58 cubic feet (1,644 liters) with the seats folded – virtually doubling the available space of the sedan.

Supercharged performance

The 6.2L supercharged V-8 engine powers the CTS-V Sport Wagon – the same acclaimed engine found in the V-Series Sedan and Coupe models. Rated at 556 horsepower (415 kW) and 551 lb.-ft. of torque (747 Nm), it is the most powerful engine offered in Cadillac’s history.

A pair of six-speed transmissions is offered in the CTS-V Sport Wagon – a Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual with a dual-disc clutch and a Hydra-Matic 6L90 six-speed automatic with steering wheel-mounted shift controls. The steering wheel-mounted controls require no shift lever movement and allow immediate tap up/tap down gear selection. Performance Algorithm Shifting provides the automotive transmission with a performance-oriented shift pattern during sustained high-performance driving. As with many Cadillac models, the driver needs only to slide the shifter into the manual “gate” to put the transmission into a performance mode.

Torque is channeled through the six-speed transmissions to a high-performance rear axle that features a limited-slip rear differential within a cast iron housing for greater thermal management and asymmetrical half-shafts to smoothly manage the supercharged engine’s incredible torque. The unique design includes alternately sized half-shafts that also help dynamically balance the oscillation of torque from side to side, effectively eliminating “power hop.”

Magnetic Ride Control

The V-Series achieves exceptional levels of road-holding performance, but also maintains the poise of a luxury car in “regular” driving conditions. The technical enabler of this dual-mode driving character is Cadillac’s landmark Magnetic Ride Control. It is standard on the CTS-V Sport Wagon and is the world’s fastest-reacting suspension technology. It uses shocks controlled by advanced magneto-rheological technology, rather than mechanical valves, to greatly accelerate response time and precision.

Electronic sensors at all four wheels literally “read the road” every millisecond, making constant adjustments to damping to create virtually instantaneous and extremely precise control of body motions. This is of particular benefit for a high-performance car because it helps keep the car very composed during hard cornering, acceleration, braking and other dynamic maneuvers.

The Magnetic Ride shocks also enable a broader range of damping control to optimize the ride and handling for all driving conditions. In the CTS-V Sport Wagon, an extra measure of control is offered, with two selectable modes (Tour and Sport), enabling the driver to tailor the suspension for grand touring or more spirited performance driving.

Cadillac pioneered Magnetic Ride Control, bringing it to production first in 2002, following decades of research on magneto-rheological science. Today, the technology appears only on a short roster of the world’s most elite vehicles, including Cadillac V-Series models, the Escalade luxury SUV and the STS and DTS luxury sedans.

Brembo brakes and Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tires

The CTS-V Sport Wagon incorporates sophisticated braking and tire systems, in partnership with two companies renowned for high-performance technology: Brembo and Michelin. Brembo brakes are at all four corners and include powerful, six-piston calipers in the front and four-piston calipers in the rear.

The CTS-V Sport Wagon also includes an electric parking brake, which allows for optimal dead pedal placement, which is important for high-performance driving.

Michelin partnered with Cadillac engineers to develop an exclusive Pilot Sport PS2 tire specifically engineered for the CTS-V. The tires support high levels of grip in track conditions, while also affording excellent performance on the road.

Comfort, style and technology

The interior of the CTS-V Sport Wagon is shared with the sedan, including streamlined instrumentation, LED lighting and hand-cut-and-sewn accents.

The CTS-V Sport Wagon production model will come standard with performance seats featuring perforated sueded microfiber inserts designed to hold the driver and front passenger in place during cornering. Recaro performance driving seats are optional and provide excellent support for spirited driving. These 14-way adjustable performance seats include pneumatic bolster controls in the seat cushions and backrests.

Complementing the performance seating are a thick steering wheel and a gauge package designed for easy, at-a-glance reference during performance driving. Large instruments have bold readouts, including an LED-lit “tracer” function in the tachometer that flashes as the engine nears the red line. The gauge layout includes a boost gauge and a lateral acceleration display.

Obsidian Black accents grace the center stack, console, steering wheel and door panels. The production steering wheel and shifter are available in Alcantara, providing the luxurious character of suede. These accents are elegant to the touch and aid the driver during support high-performance driving. Just like every CTS, the V-Series includes a hand-stitched instrument panel, door trim and center console.

Leading-edge infotainment features extend to the V-Series. Standard features include an advanced navigation system with a deployable screen, Bose 5.1 digital surround audio, factory-installed Bluetooth phone integration and a 40-gigabyte hard drive that allows the customer to store a large library of music files. The system uploads files via a USB port or the in-dash DVD/CD drive and allows stored tracks to be searched and selected through the radio controls.

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